Peperonata – simple quick easy Italian vegetarian recipe

At my second trip to Italy, happened to reach Bergamo, took a pleasant walk around the old paved paths of the picturesque city, full of colorful blossom flowers and green trees, and after a couple of hours got a bit hungry, and wanted to forget for a while about the famous appetizing Italian pizza and pasta, and give a try with something new yet different…

Was desperately craving for a simple, quick and easy vegetarian recipe, savory and delicious… and discovered this simple, quick and easy recipe for peperonata Italian vegetarian recipe that I’d like to share it with you, too, to feel the suave flavor of fresh veggies.

So, if you feel also in a mood to try a quick delicious Mediterranean recipe, then peperonata (or peperonatta), the Italian vegetarian recipe is the best choice, flavored, tasty and mouth-watering, just perfect for a 15 minutes dinner recipe!
And peperonata’s main ingredient – as it’s name says itself – is the colorful juicy fresh bell pepper – red, yellow, green pepper color!

Peperonatta recipe is so versatile – bell peppers can be cooked in many ways – fried in basic way with garlic and onions; or adding more ingredients, according to taste (potatoes, tomatoes, etc), then served as it is, on a lightly grilled slice of bread or as side dish pork, beef, chicken or fish.

Also, peperonatta can be prepared frying the ingredients for a long time or a short time till it gets like a stew or just a little time, enough to keep vegetables crunchy and tasty.
With this delicacy on the table your meal gets taste, color and savory, and you’ll find yourself asking for more and more peperonatta!

Simple, quick and easy recipe for peperonatta Italian vegetarian recipe – one of the most delicious bell pepper food recipe for vegetarians – if served as it is; and for non-vegetarians – if served as side dish along with pork, beef, chicken or fish, fried or boiled potatoes, olives, topped with mozzarella.

Peperonata is an appetizing Italian food made from fresh bell peppers served mostly in summer, but also perfect to be prepared in any other moment of the year.

This simple, quick and easy Italian vegetarian recipe is healthy, savory and with a pleasant colorful aspect.
Peperonata can be cooked using a single color bell peppers, if you prefer, but for a more colorful and appetizing effect I rather put all 3 colors – red, yellow and green bell peppers – found on the market.

Instructions:
Peperonata is a traditional Italian recipe and one of the most easiest recipes to make, it requires just few steps, and in a blink of the eye it’s ready to serve!
– Wash the bell peppers, cut them in 2 parts on the length taking out their seeds. Then cut each half pepper in long slices, at about 1 cm width
– Clean and cut the onion and garlic
– Put the olive oil into a frypan, ad the onions and garlic, stir and fry them for 3-5 minutes then ad the bell peppers
– Put the cover/ lid over the frying pan and cook the bell peppers on slow fire/ low temperature for 10 minutes – if you want to obtain a crunchy taste and a 15 minutes dinner, or let them for about 30 minutes – if you wish to get a stew
– Do not pour water – bell peppers are juicy enough – just be careful to stir frequently till they get soft and tender.
– Once the bell peppers got soft, add the tomatoes (without skin and cut in small pieces) or the tomatoes juice and stir for 1-2 minutes
– Right before it’s ready, ad salt and pepper to taste, and cover it with the lid. Let it for 5 more minutes then turn off the fire and put it aside the oven adding 2-3 garlic cloves keep for the end, add oregano, basil and/ or parsley – as you like
Depending on my culinary taste for the day, I like to serve peperonata as it is and with fresh corn polenta, toasted polenta or fresh crispy slices of bread.

Note:
– some like peperonatta served with lemon juice or vinegar, and olives,
– and non-vegetarians are serving it with potatoes aside, bacon slices and mozzarella on top
– use colorful, delicious and healthy bell peppers
– always use fresh ingredients and healthy bell peppers, tomatoes and onions – sweet and ripe – to get a savory food. And preferably not canned ones!

Enjoy this Mediterranean recipe, a traditional Italian peperonata!
Good appetite!

Important!
Few personal notes for cooking the best Italian peperonata
– If you’re cooking peperonata in springtime, it will be even more delicious to add few green onions – the food will get a more colorful aspect and a rich flavored taste.
– If you’re adding a drop of chilli pepper, the food will get a bit spicy and taste even better.
– I also like it with a very fine pinch of cinnamon pour at the end – hmmm, this gives such an amazing flavor!

Bell peppers (peperoni):
This wonderful veggie comes in a wide range of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, and even purple, brown or black.
They are crunchy, juicy, beautiful and flavored, but not hot.
We can find bell peppers on the market all year round, but their season is in summer and beginning of autumn.
Bell peppers is beneficial for our health cause they contain: vitamin A, B2, B3, B6, C, E and K, folate, magnesium and phosphorus, potassium, and it is said that they prevent arthritis and asthma as well as gastric, esophageal and prostate cancer.
They are favored in diets as they are rich in vitamins but very low in calories (20 calories/ 3.5 ounces bell pepper).

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